Glass batch feed arrangement with directional adjustability
AssigneePPG Industries, Inc.
InventorsHenry C. Goode, Wayne H. Gonzalez, Steven H. Anderson, Gary N. Hughes, Donald P. Michelotti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pulverulent batch stream is fed into a liquefying vessel by means of an angled feed tube so as to direct the stream tangentially onto side wall portions. The tube may be rotated so as to change the location onto which the batch stream is impinged.
Claims17
Apparatus for liquefying pulverulent material comprising a vessel mounted for rotation about a central axis, means for feeding pulverulent material onto interior side wall portions of the vessel, and means for heating the interior of the vessel so as to liquefy the pulverulent material, characterized by the means for feeding pulverulent material comprising an elongated housing defining a path for guiding pulverulent material from the exterior to the interior of the vessel, the housing including a longitudinal portion extending into the vessel at an angle having a substantial vertical component sufficient to permit flow of the pulverulent material by gravity and a lower end portion within the vessel extending from the longitudinal portion at a more horizontal angle relative to the longitudinal portion and oriented at a direction substantially tangential to the rotation of the most adjacent portion of the rotating vessel.
Apparatus for liquefying pulverulent material comprising a vessel having a lining of pulverulent material on interior side wall portions, means for feeding additional pulverulent material onto the lining, means for heating the interior of the vessel so as to liquefy portions of the pulverulent material, characterized by the means for feeding additional material comprising an elongated housing defining a path for guiding the material from the exterior to the interior of the vessel, the housing including a longitudinal portion extending into the vessel at a first angle and a discharge end portion within the vessel extending from the longitudinal portion at a second angle, the housing being mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal portion of the housing so as to alter the feed location within the vessel.
A method of feeding glass batch material to a heating vessel in which a lining is rotated about a central cavity, comprising guiding a stream of batch material into the vessel along a first path having a substantial vertical component sufficient to permit flow of the batch material by gravity, changing the direction of the batch stream after entry into the vessel to a more horizontal direction so that the batch stream is directed onto the lining along a second path substantially parallel to the tangential velocity of an adjacent portion of the lining.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.